


Full Moon

by TheGardenState



Series: Mark of the Moon [2]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-01-31 09:43:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12679314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGardenState/pseuds/TheGardenState
Summary: -A continuation of Half-Moon, a story of Valerie Shepard and Garrus Vakarian-Beyond the crew of the Normandy, she didn’t have anyone else to look after her. Earth wasn’t a home for her, like it was for most humans. This was as much of a foreign land to her as it was to Garrus, and he didn’t want her to feel like she was alone through this.





	1. Weeks

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2, back in action, going to actually start proof reading and formatting well. 
> 
> Here's to new beginnings.

            For weeks all members of the galaxy worked endlessly to repair the broken relays. Earth was currently overwhelmed with the increase in population from troops from all corners of the Milky Way, hospitals were overflowing with the injured, and the ground was littered in the shells of husks and broken parts of reapers. The goal for everyone was to get the mass relay in the Sol system up and running to nearby relays in order to alleviate the growing tension and resource scarcity that threatened Earth. It seemed even with the reapers gone, there was more issues to deal with at hand. After the initial celebration, the taste of victory dissolved quickly as the Krogan became restless on Earth, wanting nothing more then to return home to finally get back what the genophage so selfishly had taken from them.

 

The knots in Garrus’ stomach turned, he was getting anxious waiting around. The updates on Shepard were few and far in between. They had told him that she was in a hospital in London, alive, but unresponsive. That worried Garrus more than anything, that she wasn’t up despite the weeks since she had been found. What if she didn’t wake up? Garrus couldn’t shake that thought from his mind.The only thing keeping him from losing his grip was tidying up Shepard’s room for her return. He organized the clothes that had been sitting in piles since before she had left. Dusting the shelves and cleaning the fish tank gave him purpose, that was to welcome Shepard back with open arms.

 

            When they got news that the closest mass relay had been patched up, everyone was relieved. It wasn’t in perfect working condition by any means, but it at least had a two way transport from here and the Sol system. The crew worked diligently to ensure that the Normandy was working up to its fullest potential and looking as pristine as ever. No, there was no war to fight any longer, but their arrival back onto Earth was bound to be publicized. It was Commander Shepard’s warship, she had fought and defeated the reapers on there. She saved the galaxy, so the Normandy was bound to be a more than welcome sight.

 

            Garrus stood behind Joker as they approached the relay, he looked over to the seat that EDI had once been. The emptiness of the copilot's chair resonated throughout the cockpit, making it painfully obvious she was gone. Garrus noticed Joker turned every so often to look at the unoccupied space, about to say something but turning as soon as he realized, a feeling which he knew all too well. Many times Garrus found himself in bed, reaching over to place his arm around Shepard, but his arm falling down to the cold sheets.

 

            “How you holding up?” Garrus asked, genuinely sorry for the loss of EDI.

 

            “I’m doing good,” he replied, “just glad the the relays are back, need to get back to Earth soon, see how Shepard’s doing.”

           

            The relay sent them flying through space, Garrus’ heart lept. It would be a matter of minutes now until he saw Shepard in the flesh. That didn’t do anything to stop his worrying though, he hoped that since the few days from their last update that she had woken up and was waiting for him.

 

            Reaper parts were still scattered around Earth, here and there, reminding Garrus that the war was still fresh. It felt like years ago to him though, like a distant memory, almost as if he didn’t actually live through it all. As they landed down at the Alliance military base in London, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Being cooped up on the Normandy for the past month was not ideal, but at least they were back in a familiar place. When they exited the Normandy, Hackett met them happily.

 

            “Welcome back,” he stated proudly, “we are still working around the clock, but we are making great strides.”

 

            They made their way into the base, people stopping them every so often to salute or thank them for what they’ve done. Garrus couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy, knowing that he did something good for the galaxy. A woman led them to a hall with separate rooms for them to board, until the relays were all repaired and they could get to where they wanted to be. Once Garrus settled in his room, he sat at the desk to check his messages.

 

            Palaven was being rebuilt, and efforts were strong. Victus sent him a long drawn out message about how he needed to get home because they were in need of strong leaders to lead efforts into a building a stronger world for the turians. Guilt overwhelmed Garrus, he knew he should be trying to get back to Palaven as soon as possible, but Shepard was his priority right now, and he couldn’t leave her. Beyond the crew of the Normandy, she didn’t have anyone else to look after her. Earth wasn’t a home for her, like it was for most humans. This was as much of a foreign land to her as it was to Garrus, and he didn’t want her to feel like she was alone through this.

 

            Liara came to Garrus’ door, and they set off to see their Commander.

 

———

 

            The hospital was crowded and chaotic, people scrambling around to see if their missing loved ones were safe. Garrus hadn’t heard so much crying in ages, there were tears of happiness, of heartache, and despair. It put him on edge, and he was feeling overwhelmed, he just wanted to see Shepard, and time seemed to be going by more slowly than he was comfortable with.

 

            When he and Liara made it to the front desk, they were greeted by an old woman who looked as if she’d seen better days. Her hair was greyed and her wrinkly skin creased around her small pursed lips. They were painted a bright red, matching her long, sharp fingernails that tapped away at a keyboard. Her sharp eyes turned up to them as they approached, sending chills down both of their spines.

           

            “Hello,” Garrus greeted her awkwardly, “we’re here to see Valerie Shepard.”

           

            “Isn’t everyone?” she asked, sarcastically, “Sorry, Shepard’s room is only taking family and Alliance personnel right now.”

 

            “I’m family,” Garrus said quickly, “I’m her fiance.”

 

            The woman looked at Garrus up and down and scoffed, “Her fiance?” she muttered something under her breath and looked him in the eyes, “Look, you should go, the line is long and people are waiting.”

 

            “I am waiting to see Commander Shepard,” his voice stern and fists clenched.

 

            “Do you by chance happen to have a human with you I could talk to?” she smacked chewing gum loudly between her thin lips, “Your kind have been in here causing a lot of trouble for me lately.”

 

            “This is Dr. Liara T’Soni, and I am Garrus Vakarian, we were stationed on the Normandy with Shepard, she’s done Earth and the whole galaxy a great favor, she saved a lot of lives, and we helped. Now, we want to see her,” his voice almost growled at her.

 

            “Look around,” she huffed, “there are doctors here too, they’ve been saving lives. If anything, I’d say she was just doing her job too.”

 

            Just as Garrus opened his mouth, Kaidan approached them at the counter, holding a bouquet of flowers in hand. Garrus kicked himself, _how could I have forgotten flowers?_ Kaidan looked at the three of them, confused.

 

            “What’s going on here?” he questioned the old woman. Her demeanor immediately changed, and she smiled warmly at him.

 

            “What can I do for you, hun?” she asked him in a voice Garrus didn’t think could come from her mouth.

 

            “We’re all here to see Commander Shepard,” he said, sliding his Alliance Identification card to her. Without looking at it, she smiled and waved the three of them through to the hall where a nurse walked them to a room at the far end. Garrus’ heart raced in his chest as she opened the door slightly, and he entered in first.

 

            The room was covered in balloons and flowers, cards and crayon drawings littered all of the tables in the room. There was a slight humming sound followed by steady beeps from the monitor next to Shepard. His heart sank when he saw her, she was laying peacefully on the bed, her eyes closed, chest raising up and down ever so slowly. There was slight bruising under her eyes, and he couldn’t imagine what other injuries she sustained from that day. Garrus walked over to the bedside, relief spread over his body, but also sadness, he longed to speak to her and hold her in his arms. Leaning over, he pressed his forehead against hers and sat down in a chair that was beside the bed.

 

            “I don’t know if anyone told you this, but you kicked ass out there,” he got closer to her, his voice in a low whisper, “I… I love you.”

 

            He had forgotten how warm she was when he reached her hand, he held it tightly, not wanting to let go ever again. Regret fell over him, Garrus had only told her twice now explicitly that he loved her, one of the times she wasn’t even conscious to hear him. He hoped to the spirits that she knew how much she meant. Every time he had the opportunity to say it to her, his heart beat fast and his palms grew moist, so he shied away from the words. It wasn’t custom for turians to say the phrase often, it was more of an understanding between them, but he wanted to say it to Shepard, constantly it was on the tip of his tongue, begging to be spat out into the air between them. But always, he was scared, nervous, embarrassed, a mix of emotions that never let him utter the phrase without his stomach going into knots. The monitor continued to beat at its normal pace as she breathed in and out of the oxygen tubes that hung from her ears. Garrus felt Liara’s soft hand on his shoulder, and in that moment, he finally felt at peace.

 

———

 

            Garrus woke to a light shake of his shoulder and opened his eyes to a dimly lit room. Sleep had overcome him as he sat with Shepard, his head was resting against her arm. She looked unfazed, though her scars seemed deeper than before.

 

            “We should get going, Garrus,” Liara’s soothing voice called to him as she stretched. He looked at Shepard again, not wanting to leave her side. Slowly, he got up and nuzzled into her hair once more, breathing her in just for a moment longer. He followed Liara, letting her lead the way out, he pulled the door slowly behind him until he heard a strained voice call out.

 

            “Garrus?”

 

           

           

           

 

           

 

 


	2. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus stopped dead in his tracks, his hand still on the doorknob. When he pushed back through the entryway, he met Shepard’s hazy gaze.

Garrus stopped dead in his tracks, his hand still on the doorknob. When he pushed back through the entryway, he met Shepard’s hazy gaze. Exhaustion wore through her as she struggled to move her head. Garrus rushed to her side, he saw her eyes scan the room and the confusion she was swallowed in. His shaking hands held hers, and he held it tight, feeling the ring around her finger still.

“Are you okay, Valerie?” he asked her as Liara ran to grab a nurse.

“Where…. am I?” her voice was weak.

“We’re in London,” he replied as he held her hand tight. The look on her face told Garrus that she didn’t understand, fear struck his core. “You did it, you saved the galaxy.”

“London?” 

The nurse came in and started taking her vitals, she pushed Garrus away as she asked Valerie a plethora of questions. Liara put her hand on his shoulder, and they stood and watched as the nurse pointed flashlights in her eyes and tapped her in various places. Shepard hadn’t moved anything but her eyes yet, and a slight twitch of her fingers.

“Can you tell me your name?” the nurse asked her.

“Val...Valerie Shepard.”

“Do you know where you are?”

Shepard paused for a few seconds, she closed her eyes, trying to think, “I don’t know…”

“You’re on Earth, in London at James Tegan Memorial Hospital,” the nurse replied. Valerie looked puzzled, like she couldn’t think of a reason to why she was on Earth. “Do you know why you’re here?”

The room was silent, only the constant beep of the monitor could be heard. Shepard sat and pondered for a moment, opened her lips, and closed them without a sound.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” the nurse asked her. More silence filled the room as Shepard tried to recall her last memory.

“The Normandy… in the Amada System… a ship attacked us… I had to get Joker…”

“By the Goddess,” Liara whispered, as she held tightly onto Garrus’ arm and shook her head.

“Where is… Kaidan?” 

Garrus’ heart dropped. Shepard didn’t remember what happened the past 2 years, meaning she didn’t remember Thane, the collector base, defeating the reapers, or falling in love with him. There were a million thoughts running through his head, he wanted to explain everything that had happened and tell her that he loved her, but he knew she was already so overwhelmed. Liara looked at Garrus, she knew he was probably in so much pain, and was just as concerned as she was. The nurse continued to examine Shepard until her doctor came in.

“I’ll… go get Kaidan,” Garrus said to Liara. She looked at him inquisitively.

“I could share my memories with her,” she reminded him, “so she remembers everything.”

“Not now,” he looked nervous, “she’s going through a lot right now, it’s best not to overload her with all of this. She needs to rest. When she needs me, I’ll be there.” 

He looked over to Shepard, she was being poked and prodded by the doctor and nurses, her eyes still wide and disoriented. More than anything he wanted to be by her side, he wanted to kiss her and tell her she was alright, and that he’d make sure of it. But she wasn’t calling his name for her comfort, and he wouldn’t add that much more pressure on her, she needed to heal. Garrus left the room and went to the waiting area where the rest of the crew was. They all sat up upon his arrival, Garrus rubbed the back of his neck, he was strained.

“She’s up,” he told them, “she’s… having trouble recalling things though. Kaidan, she’s asking for you.”

Kaidan stood up and Garrus walked with him back to Shepard’s room. He would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn’t jealous. From what happened earlier that day with the receptionist, to Shepard calling out Kaidan’s name, he truly wondered if she was better off with him. Quickly, he shook the thought from his head. Sure, their love was uncommon and nontraditional, but they were bound by their mark, and he didn’t want to go through life without her. She would remember in time, he was sure of it, and he would be there, waiting, every second of the way.

\------

The next morning Garrus returned to Shepard’s hospital room, he tapped on the door slightly and cracked it opened. Shepard was sitting upright in bed and Kaiden stood up and kissed her on the forehead before turning towards the door. As he passed Garrus, he put a hand on his shoulder and gave a small squeeze and smile before leaving them both alone in a quiet room. Shepard smiled awkwardly at Garrus and he took the seat next to her. 

“Hey Garrus,” she said softly, voice still strained.

“Hey Shep, feeling better?”

“It’s hard to move, but I’m getting there,” she reached for his hand slowly and held onto it, her fingers twitched slightly. Garrus brought her hand to the side of his face, she stoked his cheek gently with her thumb. With the same soft touch she had always approached him, as if he was a delicate flower that would crumble at her touch. 

“I take it Kaidan told you.”

“We had a long talk. He told me a lot. I’m starting to remember some of it,” she cleared her throat and coughed slightly, “it seems like we’ve been busy.”

“Yeah, we were, did he tell you that you died?”

Shepard laughed, “He mentioned it.”

“That’s good… did he tell you about kicking the reapers to hell?”

“I remembered that part after a little while,” she whispered. 

“How did it go?”

Hearing her talk made Garrus at ease, she recalled everything from leaving him on the Normandy, to Anderson’s passing, till the end of it all. There was a slight awkwardness to her voice, as if she was unsure of what she was saying. He knew she was scared, and hesitant of her words. 

“All I remember thinking of in the end was you,” she sheepishly stated, “I just… lost so much time… so many memories.” 

“I know,” he said to her, “we can get through this though.”

“Doctors said it’s not likely for me to return to active duty again… what will I do? I’m never going to be able to return to the Normandy.”

“Maybe it’s time for us to settle down,” he cleared his throat and she stirred uncomfortably, “maybe we can buy a house here on Earth.”

“Earth isn’t home,” she was frustrated, he could tell she was angry. The monitor started beeping rapidly, and a nurse came into the room. 

“Sir, Shepard cannot be under stress now, I’m going to ask you to come back another time.”

Garrus got up slowly and walked out of the room, he turned to look at her, and saw she was crying silently, looking out of the window.


	3. A Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus crawled into bed, again without his other half. He wondered if she still loved him like she did weeks ago, or if those feelings had changed. Hopefully, she remembered more of what they had by the time visiting hours opened tomorrow, he’d go every day until she did.

            When Garrus returned back to his cabin he was met with an array of messages on his console. The last thing he wanted to do was sit down and read them, but he needed something to take his mind off what had happened between him and Shepard. It was difficult seeing her so upset, he knew how much the Alliance meant to her and how much effort she put into it. What surprised him most though was seeing that even with all that had happened, it still wasn’t enough for her. Maybe he understood because he knew that this was all she had known for all of her life, and leaving that behind was bound to be an emotional process. He knew that above all else, she valued her independence, and working as a spectre and being an N7 gave her that freedom. Losing that would be beyond difficult for her, especially because the only home and family she had known was on the Normandy.

            He hoped that she would regain all of her strength and mobility back, and that the process would be short and simple, but another part of him wanted differently. Garrus felt guilty for thinking that way, but he knew that it would be safer for her if she didn’t return back to the Alliance. Shepard would no longer have to throw her life out for the greater good. She and Garrus could retire and live the rest of their lives together in peace. They could worry about just each other for a change, and that was what Garrus truly wanted in the end. Whether or not he thought Shepard thought the same, he knew deep down that wasn’t the life she wanted to live. But maybe, if she was forced to live a normal life, she could find happiness in that, and Garrus just wanted her to be happy, and he’d do anything to give her that.

            Primarch Victus had been in contact with Garrus heavily throughout the past few days, informing him of the progress being made on Palaven. Mostly, they were pleas for Garrus to return to his homeworld to help rebuild once the connection was made back to Earth. Garrus didn’t know how to respond to the Primarch. On one hand, Garrus would be delighted to go back to Palaven, to help reclaim their world and build it stronger than before. On the other, he wanted to be by Shepard’s side, no matter where the future took her, whether it be on the Normandy, or a decently sized house on the shoreside. Picking between the two though, he always knew where he belonged, and that was with Shepard.

            Still, trying to reply to Victus with that answer was near impossible, how could he inform the Primarch that he was letting down his entire species for one human? If anything, Victus should know his answer, when they worked together all Garrus would talk about was Valerie Shepard. Victus would hear him drone on about her for days it seemed like, from the great battles she’s fought, down to the patterns on socks she wore. Almost everyone knew that given the chance, Garrus would always pick Shepard.

            Garrus crawled into bed, again without his other half. He wondered if she still loved him like she did weeks ago, or if those feelings had changed. Hopefully, she remembered more of what they had by the time visiting hours opened tomorrow, he’d go every day until she did.

 

——

 

            When Garrus entered the hallway of Shepard’s hospital wing, he found her up against the wall outside of her room, grunting and propped up on a walker. A nurse was close by, spotting her and looking concerned.

            “It’s much too early,” the young woman said to her, “you need to recover fully before we can have you walking.”

            Shepard gave her a death glare, and the nurse backed away slowly. Garrus walked over to them and held Shepard up as she slipped against the wall. She gave him a look of thanks, and tried to take another step.

            “I can watch her from here,” he whispered to the frightened nurse, she shook her head and walked away quickly. “You okay, Shep?”

            “I got this,” she said through gritted teeth, forcing herself forward. Garrus stood by her side and helped her as she trudged through the hall. Her breathing became heavy, and she fell onto her knees.

            Garrus lifted her up and brought her back to the bed where she calmed down, her heavy breathing became deeper and tears flooded her eyes. Slowly, he laid next to her and she held him tightly, sobbing into his chest.

            “There, there,” he whispered into her hair, “You barely just got up, it’s going to take time, but damn you made it far. You did good.”

            Sniffling, she looked up at him and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Her brown eyes stared into his and she began laughing softly.

            “You’re right, it just feels like I’ll never make it out of here...” she looked off for a moment, then again a him and smiled, “I see you’re wearing human clothes, this t-shirt is soft. I like it.”

            “Yeah, not much turian wear here on Earth,” Garrus chuckles, “making do with what I’ve got, but not gonna lie, I like it too.”

            “You look good,” she told him, blushing slightly. Garrus saw her cheeks go rosey, and his stomach fluttered. It was almost like falling in love all over again.

            “Well, you look as beautiful as ever,” he replied, watching her smile widen.

            It was quiet for a moment, as they intertwined their fingers. Garrus played with her hair while Shepard stroked the side of his mandible softly. This was what Garrus had been waiting for, it seemed like forever since he had gotten this time with her. Wishing he could ask her what she remembered about them, he held his tongue, not wanting to spoil this already precious moment.

            “Can I see it?” she asked softly, their faces almost touching.

            “Uhh…” he cleared his throat, “right now? You’re not fully healed yet, darling, and there’s not uh.. a lock on the door.”

            She began laughing uncontrollably, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I wanted to see your mark.”

            “Ohhhhh… right,” he got up from the bed and pulled down the sweatpants leg slightly, just enough to see the top half of the mark.

            “Wow…” she whispered under her breath.

            “Look like how you remembered?”

            “Nah, that ASS, Vakarian, it’s out of this world,” she laughed hard and held her stomach.

            “Ah, checking me out, are you?” he said slyly as he crawled on top of her on the bed. Their eyes met, and he saw a lust in her eyes he hadn’t seen in a long time, she looked as if she craved him, after being deprived of his affection for so long. After looking into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity, both of them still, unwilling to move away from each other’s hold, Garrus uttered the phrase softly, “I love you.”

            Just then, the door opened and startled Garrus, he got off the bed quickly and awkwardly, straightening his shirt and clearing his throat. A nurse came in, clipboard in hand, writing notes without looking up at them.

            “Sir, visiting hours are over, you can come back tomorrow.”

            Garrus pressed his forehead against Shepard’s, she smiled, and he exited the room, more confident now than he had been in a while.

  


 


	4. The Normandy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In theory, she could say she was the happiest she had ever been, but still, something was missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short, break is this week and I will have more writing time. Thanks for reading. <3

            “What do you mean you can’t find her?” Garrus asked the nurse through gritted teeth. He had only missed one day of visiting her since he arrived on Earth three weeks prior and she was nowhere to be found.

            “Our staff is doing everything they can to locate her, please, sir, calm down.”

            “Calm down?” he scoffed, “I’ll calm down, once you can tell me where my fiancé, who can barely walk on her own, is.”

            The nurse hurried away to find someone who had any idea to where Shepard was, Garrus tried to stay calm, thinking of the possible places that she could be. Bathroom, cafeteria, physical therapy room, but his searches came up empty. Pacing around her hospital room, he tried to logically solve the issue at hand.

            Suddenly, a thought came to him, and he shook his head and chuckled slightly as he looked at her empty hospital bed. Quickly, he left the room, and made his way to the Normandy.

 

———

 

            The Normandy was stationed at the Alliance base still, with crewman working on repairs and general upkeep of the warship. There were many broken and battered vessels around, along with ones that were in pristine conditions, but none stood out like the Normandy. It had been a few days since he had been inside, making sure that no harm was being done in the main battery, Garrus didn’t trust anyone but himself with calibrations.

            As he entered, he passed many people hustling about the ship, not even acknowledging his presence. Anyone could have wandered up here and everyone could have gone about their business as if nothing had happened. Though he was irked by the lack of supervision, he had to admit the ship had been looking better than she had ever been before.

            Garrus made his way to the elevator and pressed the console to take him up to Shepard’s cabin. He opened the door to see her standing in front of her fish tank, propped up with a cane she had gotten from the hospital. Quickly she turned to him and smiled, Garrus couldn’t think of a better sight to see; Shepard finally back where she felt at home.

            “You caused a scare out there,” he told her as he closed the space between them.

            “You found me though,” the words echoed in the room.

            “Of course, you underestimate me,” he lifted her in his arms, letting the cane fall to the floor and sat her on the bed, “I know you better than you think.”

            “Sure you do, Vakarian,” she laughed softly and looked around the room, “I missed this, especially my bed.”

            Shepard rested her head against his arm, and his heart grew warm. The past few weeks had been an intense learning curve for the both of them. Things were not the same from whenever they last saw each other, Shepard lost the time they had, and she had to fall in love with him again. Garrus was becoming more comfortable with it, it was almost like a second chance for him, no more secrets, no more avoiding the obvious; it was just falling in pure love this time. There wasn’t a battle to be fought, and they weren’t just finding comfort in each other during a time of chaos, they just needed each other.

            “I miss it too, it was hard being here without you around,” he admitted to her.

            “You left your email up on the computer,” she looked at him, “you should go, to Palaven, once the mass relay is fixed. There’s a lot of crime, a lot of people are asking for your help.”

            “There’s a lot for me to do here,” he replied.

            “Garrus, I don’t want to hold you here. They need a strong leader like you.”

            “They might need me, but I need you.”

            She looked at him, an intensity glazed over her eyes. A low groan came from her chest, as if she was building up to scream. Falling back on the bed, she let out a sigh. All the strides she had been making felt as if they were for nothing, she didn’t want to need anyone, but it felt that she needed Garrus more than anything. For the past few weeks, he had been helping her, not just with physical rehabilitation, but beyond that. Drinking hadn’t been an issue for her, she had been smiling more, and she had genuinely fallen in love with him again. In theory, she could say she was the happiest she had ever been, but still, something was missing. Shepard needed something greater than herself, and she wasn’t able to do any of that. Garrus had the opportunity to do just that on Palaven, and she loathed the fact that he was giving it up to be with her on Earth.

            “Just… come here. Hold me,” she moved and Garrus wrapped his arms around her, she looked into his eyes, “There’s trouble all throughout the galaxy, Thessia and Palaven, I’ve been getting emails from all over. Crime and corruption have been hindering progress. Earth is lucky, they have the manpower, but we have to help elsewhere.”

“Shepard, that’s not for us to worry about now. One step at a time, my love.”

 

———

 

            “Sir, with all do respect, I am able bodied and able to return to duty,” she pleaded with Hackett, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, tired from working around the clock to get Earth back in order. Papers scattered his desk, and he looked older to Shepard.

            “Shepard, we talked about this,” he lowered his voice, “it’s time for you to retire, get that farm you’ve always talked about, like your family had. Frankly, you have done more than humanity can ask, and if I’m being honest, it’s bad for PR. We’re recruiting for more Alliance soldiers, we can’t have them see us working our best of the best to death. Take a break, you earned it.”

            “But sir...”

            “No buts, Shepard, this is an order,” he shook Shepard’s hand, “I never got the chance to thank you.”

            Shepard left Hackett’s office and paced the hall. Though everyone was telling her otherwise, she knew what had to be done. She made her way down to the hall where the Normandy crew was staying and knocked on each of their door.

            “What’s up, Commander?” Joker asked.

            “I need everyone to meet me on the Normandy in thirty,” she replied with a slight smirk.

 

———

 

            Everyone gathered around the briefing table, confused to why Shepard asked everyone to gather here. Her fingers tapped the table softly, waiting for people settle in. Garrus tried to read her, but even he was slightly nervous about what she was going to tell them. Maybe she was ready to retire, and she wanted to tell everyone, maybe plan a celebration. Or that she was finally able to join the Alliance once again. She could also be winning a medal of sorts, Garrus thought almost anything was possible at this point.

            “What did you call us in for, Shepard?” peeped Tali through the awkward silence. Shepard stayed quiet, and tapped her fingers nervously.

            Suddenly, she stopped and looked up, with a half smile, Garrus saw mischief in her eyes, and he quickly became worried.

“I’m stealing the Normandy, who’s in?”

 

 


	5. Just Like Old Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus looked at Shepard, she was grinning from ear to ear at the confusion everyone was in, her eyes were hungry. Adventure was what she was looking for, and Garrus thought this was the worst possible way to find it.

            “What the fuck?” Joker spat out with a slightly nervous laugh.

            “Joker,” Kaidan threw Joker a dirty look.

            “Sorry,” he replied, “what the fuck, _Commander?”_

            Garrus looked at Shepard, she was grinning from ear to ear at the confusion everyone was in, her eyes were hungry. Adventure was what she was looking for, and Garrus thought this was the worst possible way to find it. He knew she had been fighting with the Alliance since they had officially grounded the Normandy, and she wasn’t having it.

            Shepard was calculated about this, she hadn’t slept the night before, planning everything out in detail. From disabling Alliance tracking on the Normandy, to transferring her credits to a personal account, and even contacting Aria to work out minor details. She even made a list of those who she knew would come, refuse, or fenced. The crew that Cerberus hired and the Alliance kept around, she knew would follow. They had no ties to the Alliance, and they were all in need of more than being stuck on Earth, this wasn’t home for most of them either. Shepard’s eyes fell upon James, who looked down at the table, she knew he wouldn’t ruin his chance at becoming an N7, and the Alliance needed him.

            Kaiden on the other hand was in a similar place. There was a bond between them that was beyond anything else, he was one of her best friends, but she knew him, an Alliance soldier, through and through. Was he bound to repeat Horizon again?

            There was no questioning Garrus, she knew he’d be by her side, no matter what. And he had a knack for vigilantism already, this would be just that on a different scale. Still, his worry might try to talk her out of leaving the safety of Earth. They had plans to settle down, but Garrus knew all too well that those were just pipe dreams. He knew that even he wouldn’t be happy just sitting down amidst all of the chaos. People needed Shepard, and he would do anything to help her.

            Everyone was still, waiting for Shepard to say that she was joking and that they were all just going to the bar to grab a drink, but the look in her eyes said differently. It scared half of everyone, Liara’s arms were crossed, brows furrowed, but nonetheless willing to go. Following Shepard to all ends of the galaxy was what she felt like she was born to do, that and Shadow Brokering. Tali looked over to Liara for some guidance she might hold, but she too would go to the ends with Shepard, even if it meant not seeing her homeworld for a while longer.

            “Well, if no one is going to say anything,” Joker continued, already frustrated with the Alliance grounding the Normandy, “I’m down.”

————

            “I understand,” she told James and Cortez with a smile as they packed their things.

            “But don’t worry, we won’t say a word,” James told her as he slung his cargo bag over his shoulder.

            “You’re going to make the Alliance proud, they need you as an N7.”

            “Good luck out there, Lola,” he gave her a hug and lifted her off the ground, “you’re going to good out there.”

            Kaidan came up behind her, his bag packed as well, he smiled at her, it was bittersweet seeing him leave. They almost had the whole crew back again, everyone but he and Wrex… And Ashley. There was a moment where his hand slightly grazed the back of her fingers, almost holding it, but he pulled back, and chuckled a bit to himself for realizing that old habits die hard. Knowing that in this moment, he was repeating his mistakes, but there wasn’t another option out for him, he was getting old and tired, and he wondered how Shepard felt. Tali, Garrus, hell even Liara were younger than them in comparison. They were all joining her, because they needed more than just this ending, Kaidan understood that, but it was his time to take a break, if only for a little.

            “You’re crazy, you know that?” he laughed softly, resting his hand on her shoulder as  they looked out from the cargo area.

            “I figured that’s why they made me a spectre. I can do this right? Commandeer this vessel? I may not be an Alliance Commander anymore but they haven’t taken my spectre status away.”

            “Ah, Shepard, you always find the loopholes,” he scruffed up her hair and before walking towards James and Cortez, “don’t be gone too long, we need you here too.”

            With a slight laugh, she saluted Kaidan as her friends departed into the night. The Normandy was due to make its escape in exactly one more hour. Her hands were shaking, she was nervous, but she knew she had to leave. There was work to be done elsewhere, and there was no stopping her. While everyone turned a blind eye, focused on getting the Krogan back to their homeworld and rebuilding Earth’s major communication centers, most of all of the Alliance battleships were left unattended.

            Joker was sitting in his usual spot on the Normandy, tapping away at the console, making last minute changes and moving things about, Shepard didn’t understand half of it, but she trusted him.

            “This would have been a hell of a lot easier if EDI was here,” he muttered under his breath.

            “Are you doing okay?”

            “I’m just glad I didn’t lose the both of you,” he replied almost too quickly, as if he had rehearsed what he was going to say before she had asked him. From behind, Valerie could hear footsteps approaching, she almost immediately recognized the sound. Garrus was looking down at a datapad, then looked up at Shepard. The whole situation was crazy to him, but nothing he hadn’t done before, or at least thought about doing.

            “Everything going as planned?” Garrus asked Joker, he replied with a nod, “Can we talk, Valerie?”

            “Sure,” she followed him to the elevator and they made their way to the observation deck where they had shared so many memories, memories that Shepard had been searching for. Sometimes when Garrus describes things to her they played out so vividly in her mind, but other times she had struggled to even picture the room they were in. They sat on the couch, next to each other, Garrus pulled her close.

            “Are you certain you want to do this?” he asked softly into the top of her head as he breathed her in deeply.

            Her head rested on his arm, and her fingers intertwined with his, she thought about what she wanted to say to him. Garrus knew damn well she was wanting to do this, he just felt like asking was necessary. Mainly because they were each other’s main impulse control, but if he was on board a pirated ship, there’s no other captain he’d follow.

            “Well,” she looked up at him, “we need to get to Palaven, and there’s at least a 6 month wait if were going on normal transport. This will speed things up.”

            “I thought we were going to Omega first?” he was puzzled, they didn’t have urgent need to go to his homeworld.

            “Yeah we are, but I mean we have to officially tie the knot eventually. I want your family to be there. All of my family is already on board here.”

            Garrus’ heart fluttered, he almost half forgot that Shepard was his _fiance._ Suddenly, Shepard straddle him, they were looking eye to eye, her fingers traced the scars on his face and his hands fell to her lower back. They stared at each other for a few moments in silence.

            “Thank you for doing this,” she whispered.

            “For doing what? Stealing the most iconic war ship to help bring justice to the galaxy? Shepard, honey, this is my cup of tea.”

            Their laughter filled the room, once it settled down and all that could be heard was the quiet hum of the ship, she kissed him deeply.

            “I remember that night we drank in here,” she pressed her forehead against his, “after Horizon. When we were drinking all I could think about was how much you meant to me. Now, we’re here again, bound by our soulmarks. Do you think you’d love me if I didn’t have it?

            “I’d love you no matter what,” he assured her, pulling her close to him, “you’re tough as nails, and as beautiful as a full moon.”

            “That was fucking cheesey, Vakarian,” she blushed, “but I dig it.”

            They held still onto each other, he felt the soft rises in her chest from her breathing slowly. Her hair tickled his mandibles as she got closer to him. Soon, they would be embarking on a new adventure, side by side, as they were meant to be.

            “Ready, Commander?” Joker called over the intercom.

            “When you are,” she replied back to him, she looked back to Garrus, their hearts beating fast. “Are you ready, Vakarian?”

            “Always - just like old times, Shepard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for going on my adventure with me, I appreciate the support from you all. This has been long over due, and I apologize. Nonetheless, its been a good ride, and I hope you enjoyed it as well.


End file.
